snodgrass



L. M'. SNODGRASS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l6| 1914.

' 1,1 93,937. Patented Aug. 8, 1516.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

L. M. SNODGRASS.

RML JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED mm 16, i914.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

QN J n mu LESLIE M. SNOIDG-RASS, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO HENRY NEUERBURG, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Application filed June 16, 1914. Serial No. 845,477.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESLIE M. SNoDGRAss, citizen of the United States,residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rail joints; and its object isto provide a novel, simple and efiicient joint or connection between themeeting ends of rails which will form a smooth tread surface and preventpounding of the car Wheels at the joint; which will prevent sagging ofthe adjoining ends of the rails; which will obviate the use of fishplates and similar splicing devices; which will allow free expansion andcontraction under climatic changes; and which will hold the ends of therails securely locked or tied together.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings,described in the following specification and then more particularlypointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part ofthis application.

In describing my invention in detail reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1is a detail perspective view illustrating the manner in which themeeting ends of the rails are joined; Fig. 2 is a similar viewillustrating the formation of one of the rail ends; Fig. 3 is a similarview of the other or meeting rail end; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of therail ends properly joined; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4;Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is alongitudinal sectional view of the device as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, 1 and 2 designaterespectively the rails to be joined, the adjacent terminals or meetingends of the respective rails being adapted for complementary engagementas shown.

Rail 1 is longitudinally cut away as indicated at 3 to form a verticallyinclined shoulder 4. A longitudinal recess 5 is formed in the railsection 1, the base or bottom of the recess 6 being cut at an angle asis also the longitudinal wall 7 thereof, this formation, as willhereinafter appear, prov1d1ng a biting edge adapted for engagement withthe under side of a complementary rib, flange or projection 8 formedintegrally with the adjacent or meeting end of rail 2.

A second vertically inclined shoulder 9 is formed upon the rail 1, theinclination of said shoulder 9 being opposite to the inclination ofshoulder 4 abOVe mentioned, the said shoulder 9 being formed preferablyat a point equidistant the terminals of extension 10 of rail 1 formed bythat portion of the rail cut away. Between shoulder 9 and the free endof rail 1, the said free end being also cut at an inclination asindicated at 11, the inclination being substantially parallel to that ofshoulder 9,1 provide a rib,'enlargement or extension12 integral with theextension 10 and shaped to fit a longitudinal recess 13 therefor inextension 14" of rail section 2. Extensions or enlargements 12 and 8 andrecesses 5 and 13 are the same in formation thereby providing effectivemeans whereby the rail ends are held in longitudinal alinement andagainst sagging often apparent in rail joints heretofore conceived afterincessant pounding of car wheels thereupon.

The engaging face of rail 2, particularly extension 14 thereof, iscomplementary to the engaging face of rail 1, particularly extension 10thereof; the said complementary extension, when the rails are properlyjoined through the medium of bolts or like fastening elements 15presenting a smooth tread at the joint, the fastening elementspreventing lateral movement of one of the rails independently of theother and holding the extensions 10 and 14 firmly in engage ment. Theopenings 16 through which fastening elements 15 extend are slightlyelongated as shown, this formation allowing for expansion andcontraction of the rails due to climatic changes. Extensions 8 and 12are slightly smaller in their longitudinal dimension than the respectiverecesses 5 and 13, this being shown to advantage in Fig. 7. To properlyassemble, it is but necessary to incline the rails relatively to permitthe downturned edges 8 and 13 to enter the recesses therefor.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsit is apparent that by providing the several vertically inclinedshoulders, the rails are additionally held against displacementrelatively to each other, the said shoulders serving to at all timesmaintain the adjoining rails in longitudinal alinement; that theextensions 8 and 12, by reason of their peculiar formation bitinglyengage the respective or complementary walls of the recesses therefor,thus preventing sagging of the rail ends when in use; and that byenlarging the webs of the respective rails 1 and 2, as shown toadvantage in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the recesses or extensions may beformed in the rails without weakening or in any way injuring theirqualities of strength.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form'of my invention,illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, asthe preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yetrealizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my devicewill necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minorchanges in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of partsmay be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of theadvantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus fully described my invennals, a shoulder formed at an angleto the 'VGXlZlCfll and at the inner end of each extension, a shoulderformed at an angle to the vertical and upon each extension intermediateits ends, a shoulder formed at an angle to the vertical and at the outerend of each extension, the inner shoulder and the intermediate shoulderof each extension extending at an angle to each other, a biting edgelaterally engaging a longitudinally extending projection formed upon theinner face of each of the said extensions betweenthe outer shoulder andthe intermediate shoulder to engage in a complemental recess thereforformed in the other of the said extensions between the intermediateshoulder and the inner shoulder, the under face of each projectionextending at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, and a meanstransversely penetrating the complemental extensions to maintain therail ends joined.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LESLIE M. SNODGRASS. Witnesses:

C. C. BALDWIN, D. A. E. FRINK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

